STS-03 “Anvil”

The Anvil is a modern advanced medium nuclear missile. It fulfills the same role as the STS-01 but with more than double the yield at almost two thirds the price. ICA production is slowly shifting to producing Anvils, but the Gavel is still preeminent in missile combat due to the sheer number produced.

The STS-03 shares most of its components with the STS-01. The casing, engine, and fuel systems are identical and interchangeable. Internally, the Anvil features an upgraded ECCM suite and a W4 22kt thermonuclear warhead. The warhead is composed of lighter materials, and as such the missile has an extra 1km/s of dV compared to the Gavel. The STS-03 can be deployed out of the same launch platforms as the STS-01.

The metamaterials used in the new warhead design have proved to be difficult to manufacture for many production plants, heavily delaying the modernization of the Gavel arsenal. Many outer systems have opted to continue producing the original Gavel design for their patrol fleets rather than risk supply issues.